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Brent Goose
(Branta bernicla)
: "Brant";
"Dark-bellied Brant" (race "bernicla");
"Light-bellied Brent Goose", "Light-bellied Brant" (race
"hrota");
"Black Brant", "Pacific Brant" (race "nigricans")
 German name(s): "Ringelgans"
Size: 55-65 cm; wing span 1.05-1.2 m
Weight: 0.9-2.2 kg
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Brent Geese are medium-sized geese with a long neck.
Apart from a patch with white lines on the neck, the head and
neck are all dark-grey. The back and the wing coverts are
mid-grey, while the flight feathers are dark-grey. The
area from the vent to the undertail, uppertail and rump,
is white in all races.
In race "bernicla" most of the chest and belly is plain-grey
like the back, with white barring on the flanks. The belly
between the legs is grey.
Race "hrota"
has a grey/creamy/off-white ring pattern on chest and belly
and flanks; the belly between the legs is white.
Race "nigricans" has the darkest grey front (and back),
with prominent white barring down the flanks. The belly
between the legs is dark-grey. This race has the most
prominent white lines in the neck patch.
In all races the irises are black.
They have a rather short, nearly triangular, dark-grey
bill. The legs and feet are dark-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Brent
Goose at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Brent Goose is available
HERE
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Brent Geese are a migratory species.
There are 3 extant races.
Nominate race "bernicla" breeds in northern Russia, to western Siberia,
and overwinters in north-western Europe.
Race "hrota"
breeds in north-eastern Canada, on Greenland and Svalbard, overwintering
in coastal North America, down to Georgia and in coastal western Europe.
Race "nigricans" breeds in eastern Siberia, Alaska and north-western
Canada and overwinters on the Pacific coastal rim, as far southward
as Japan on the Asian side and to Baja California on the American
side.
In Europe usually only the two races "bernicla" and
"hrota"
are present.
Within Europe, race "bernicla" breeds in northern Russia. They
overwinter in coastal western Europe, from southern England and
northern Germany to north-western France.
Race "hrota",
which in Europe breeds on Svalbard, overwinters in coastal north-western
Europe, mainly in Denmark and north-eastern England and Ireland.
Some individuals travel farther southwards in winter, to the Bay
of Biscaye, Iberia and even the Azores.
Brent Geese have a preference for tundra near Arctic coastlines,
including islands, for breeding.
They overwinter in flocks in coastal habitats, feeding on grass
on coastal grassland and on eel grass under water.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
J. Pires reports spotting a Brent Goose, race
"hrota",
on Terceira Island, Azores, in November 2018.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this
page has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.
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Photos |
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Race "hrota"
This race is also called the "Light-bellied Brent Goose" or
"Light-bellied Brant".
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ADULT |
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Frontal view of a Brent Goose
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]
Near-frontal view of a Brent Goose
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]
Near-lateral view of a Brent Goose
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]
Lateral view of a Brent Goose
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a Brent Goose in shallow water - note the
white belly, in between the legs, which is characteristic of
race "hrota"; in the background, for comparison, a
Ruddy Turnstone
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a Brent Goose
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Terceira Island, Azores, November 2018]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
